4. Prairie State Winery

222 W. Main St., Genoa, (815) 784-4540, prairiestatewinery.com
Year Established: 1998
No. of Wines and Bottles: 28-30 wines, 100,000 bottles annually
Top Pick: Cabernet Franc; 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, gold winner
Rick Mamoser, winemaker: “Our Cabernet Franc is an Old World style, unfiltered meritage of Norton, Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc grapes. It also won Best of Show two years in a row at the Illinois State Fair Wine Competition.”

5. Hailey’s Winery

114 S. Franklin St., Byron, (815) 234-2220, haileyswinery.com
Year Established: 2007
No. of Wines and Bottles: 10 wines, 50,000 bottles annually
Top Pick: Just Norton; 2015 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, silver winner
Cheryl Hailey, winemaker: “Norton is made from just a single grape, so it’s a vibrant, bold red wine. It has a slightly tart beginning with a smooth, jam-like finish.”

8. Galena Cellars

515 S. Main St., Galena, (800) 397-9463,
477 S. Third St., Geneva, (630) 232-9463, galenacellars.com
Year Established: 1985
No. of Wines and Bottles: 50 wines, 175,000 bottles annually
Top Pick: Illinois Marquette; 2015 International Cold Climate Wine Competition, silver winner
Christine Lawlor-White, winemaker: “Illinois Marquette is a new variety the University of Minnesota has great hopes for. They came up with a light Pinot Noir-style grape where the acid is approachable, and we created bright cherry tannins and a little bit of soft oak to soften the wine. We have great hopes for the Marquette.”

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